I'm working on knife # 2 and after reading some of the tutorials I wanted to give a tapered tang a try. thanks to the tutorial it came out nice but I'm wondering if a knife with a tapered tang should also have a distil taper to the blade. I sure it's a matter of personal prefrence but would like yall's thoughts and ideas

Rodney

Travis Fry

05-19-2010, 11:13 AM

I personally like the way a tapered tang and distal taper mirror each other. In fact, I think a tapered tang without a distal taper looks a bit odd, though the opposite doesn't seem to be true. A distal taper pretty much happens naturally on a drop point with a flat grind.

John Barker

05-19-2010, 11:47 AM

Are you flat grinding or hollow grinding?
-John

RodneyJ

05-19-2010, 11:57 AM

The knife I'm working on is a drop point hunter and I will be flat grinding. I'm using the little 1" x 30" grinder from harber fraight so hollow grinding is not an option for me at this time.

thanks
rodney

John Barker

05-19-2010, 12:20 PM

From what I've seen, the distal taper of the blade is pretty much a natural tendency of flat grinding itself. Got a pic of the blade shape?
-john

RodneyJ

05-19-2010, 12:56 PM

ok I guess I'll start grinding and see if it comes out naturaly I will have to borrow my doughters camera and see if I can get some pictuers up
Rodney

James Terrio

05-19-2010, 01:02 PM

I like distal tapers on almost all blades unless it's purposely meant to be a big heavy chopper, that needs a more forward balance. It looks good, helps the blade balance nicely, and removes some weight without taking away very much strength.

RodneyJ

05-20-2010, 12:51 PM

Well guys I went ahaed and flat ground the bevels and what do you know the distal taper naturaly came out. thanks for the help.

James Terrio

05-20-2010, 02:37 PM

Are we talking A)- a full distal taper that gradually gets thinner all the way from the ricasso to the tip, or B)- the tip being thinner because of the bevel following around the belly of the edge? Of course B) certainly will just happen. :cool:

A true full distal taper doesn't "just happen" for me, I have to work at it. Maybe I'm doing it wrong? :confused:

Not trying to be snotty, just trying to get this clear in my head.

RodneyJ

05-20-2010, 10:29 PM

James it started out like "B" but I did not really liked the way that looked so I took it back some toward the ricasso but it's not a full distal. I will have to go and read the tutorial on posting pictures and see if I can get some up. I may try the full distal on my next knife, scared to put to many first into one blade this will be my first one to have a tapered tang and also the first with a guard. don't know if i'm chicken or just conservative.
rodney

James Terrio

05-21-2010, 04:16 AM

I hear ya Rodney. I've messed up a couple and only gotten a couple right :o They're mighty sweet when they come out right, though.